The popular annual Caribbean Fine Art Fair, (CaFA), now in its 12th year, returns virtually and in person to Barbados this March, with a spotlight on the works of over 40 Caribbean contemporary artists and a focus also on the hot topic of NFTs.
Art fans from across the world will be able to join CaFA 2022 at the NORMAN CENTRE, Broad Street in Bridgetown, Barbados, and without leaving their homes at caribbean.global/, from March 9th-23rd.
“This year’s CaFA Fair Barbados presents a balanced selection of emerging and internationally known artists representing 14 Caribbean nations, Brazil, Ghana, the USA and the UK,” said CAFA executive director Anderson M. Pilgrim. “We are excited about our programming featuring an array of regional experts and talent.”
“With the incredible growth and interest in Caribbean Fine Art, the opportunity to present a broader vision of the cultural creativity from the region grows as well,” added Daniel Hort, the Executive Director of Onomatopoeia Art and a co-producer of the event. “This year’s presentation of costume designs by the renowned Barbadian artist Winston Jordan, offers a glimpse into the career of a national icon while providing the chance work with major pageant and fashion outlets to present the colors, style and artistry of carnival.”
This year’s fine art show will feature contemporary artists such as the renowned US-based Neo-African abstract expressionist painter, Danny Simmons, the older brother of hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons and rapper Joseph Simmons; as well as renowned Jamaican artist Bernard Stanley Hoyes and Barbadian Winston Jordan.
Jordan’s historical carnival costume design, constructed by Mahogany Bird and DHP, was recently part of New York Fashion Week on Feb. 13th at the Cosplay Runway produced by COSMODA at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, NYC. The costume is slated for CaFA this March and represents the first time in over 20 years that the work of this renowned artist has been seen.
Other Caribbean artists showcasing their works at CaFA 2022 are: Ademola Olugebefola and Cheryl D. Miller of the US Virgin Islands; Carl F. Anderson of Guyana; Earl Darius Etienne of Dominica; Diogenes Ballester of Puerto Rico; Gilberto Wilson of Aruba Marlene; Millon Desvignes of Imat’s Creationsof Martinique; Patricia Brintle and Gina Samson of Haiti; Narciso Polanco, Palen Obesa and Rene de los Santos of Coronado Print Studio of the Dominican Republic; Joachim McMillan of Grenada; Ras Ilix Heartman, Alfred Weekes, Arlette St. Hill, Cher Antoinette Corbin, Hedy Klineman, Nicole Metzger, Steve Reid, Sylvester Adelabu Clarke and Tariq Bailey of Barbados. In addition, Central American artists Norma Lithgow of Costa Rica and Denae Howard of Panama will also showcase their work.
US artists participating, apart from Simmons, will be Brian Cannady, S. Ross Browne, Sadikisha Sandra Collier, Shenna Vaughn and Ebony Art, representing: Ernani Silva and Vernon McCauley. UK artists will be David Emmanuel Noel and Josh Kidd, while representing Ghana and the continent of Africa, will be TAFA.
In addition, the Fine Art Fair will feature 8 non-traditional artists – Alex Gibson, Délyt (Deandra Daniel),Donné Haynes, John Alleyne, Malique Shorey and Sydney McConney of Barbados, as well Sasha-Kay Nicole and Bonito “Don Dada” Thompson of Jamaica. It will be curated by Zoe Osborne of Mahogany Culture and presented at the Norman Centre simultaneously with the virtual platform caribbean.global/
CaFA 2022 will also include conversations and panel discussion around topics of international interest for the Caribbean, Black and global art communities, including a segment on NFTs by Osborne, one of the early adopters of NFTs in Barbados and the Caribbean. She will dedicate a portion of her panel discussion to explore NFTs and clarify facts around the new digital option for artists, for the uninitiated.
Other panels will include ‘Printmaking as an Art Form: Opportunities for beginning collectors by Pepe Coronado, Participating Printmakers and AMP on March 13th; a conversation with Occhi Arts and Cheryl D. Miller, a pioneer black graphic artist and visual artist from the USVI on March 16th; a fashion presentation by Imat’s Creations of Martinique and FW Brooklyn, NY on March 18th, and ‘Politics of Art: Contemporary Black Art in the Mainstream,’ featuring Danny Simmons, Ademola Olugebefola, David Emmanuel Noel, Dr. Daniela Fifi and Dr. Loris Crawford on March 20th.
CaFA 2022 will also feature the 3rd Bridgetown International Arts Festival, featuring musical, spoken word and theatrical performances on March 19th.
CaFA was founded in 2011 and has established itself as the premier art event in the Caribbean. For more visit https://www.caribbean.global/ today.
